Chapter 11
Austin rode in the back of a Hummer limousine with six other men. Four of them were human for sure. He remembered George, Nicholas, and Seth from the auditions. And then, there was Garrett aka Garth. The humans had been instructed to come to the Rising Stars of Tomorrow Agency at nine P.M. with their luggage.
A man from Romatech Industries had been there, a short chemist by the name of Laszlo Veszto. He'd given each of them a plastic anklet to wear underneath their socks. It had to be in contact with their skin. And they had to wear it for the entire duration of the show. When the men questioned why, the chemist replied with a convoluted explanation of pheromones.
At nine-thirty, two Hummer limousines arrived at the agency with ten men. Austin figured they were the undead competition, but found it odd that the small chemist gave them anklets, too. The fifteen men climbed into the limousines for the short ride to Raleigh Place. Austin noted the vampires didn't react like they normally did around humans. No sniffing, no hungry glances.
Conversation was sparse on the short trip. No one wanted to reveal a weakness to another competitor. When they stopped in front of Raleigh Place, the vampire named Maggie greeted them and escorted them up to the penthouse. The huge foyer was empty. Maggie arranged the men in three rows on the staircase, the top row standing on the landing. She told them to wait, then headed down a hallway. The men exchanged nervous glances, though none of them spoke or acknowledged they were nervous.
Soon, a cameraman came rushing down the hallway. He ran up the stairs and shot close-ups of each man. Austin couldn't see Darcy anywhere. Then, he heard footsteps and feminine voices. The women were coming. Another cameraman was ahead of them, walking backwards. The male vampire, Gregori, was leading a group of five women. The judges, most likely. One of the ladies was the purple-haired Vanda, but the other four females were unknown. And strangely dressed. They had to be really old.
Austin leaned forward to see further down the hallway. Yes, there she was. Way behind the others. Darcy was coming with the vampire Maggie. He leaned forward some more and nearly lost his balance. Thank God he was standing next to the railing, or he would have tumbled down the stairs. Damn, she looked good. She looked more than good.
When she entered the foyer, her gaze wandered over all the contestants, then rested on him. He nodded his head slightly and smiled. She looked away. Austin kept his gaze on her, hoping she would glance his way again. But the longer he watched her, the more he realized she was looking everywhere but at him.
"Gentlemen, welcome to The Sexiest Man on Earth."
Austin switched his gaze to the speaker.
"My name is Gregori, and I'll be your host." He motioned toward a female vampire. "Maggie will be your hostess."
Austin glanced back at Darcy, wondering what kind of relationship she had with this Gregori. Was he hosting the show as a favor to her?
"The five judges for this contest are standing before you," Gregori continued. "May I introduce Princess Joanna, Maria Consuela, Lady Pamela, Cora Lee, and Vanda."
Vanda waved. The other ladies curtsied. Austin glanced back at Darcy, wondering how Jong she was going to ignore him.
"Fifteen of you have arrived," Gregori announced, "but only ten of you will remain. Our lady judges have already voted five of you off the show. But first, a word from our sponsor."
There was a silent pause. The male competitors exchanged glances. Austin figured this was a commercial break for Vampire Fusion Cuisine.
"Welcome back." Gregori smiled at a nearby camera. "It's time to learn which five men will be going home tonight. They are," he paused for dramatic effect, "Tadayoshi, Derek, Harsha, Ferdinand, and Seth. Gentlemen, you must take your leave. The limousines are waiting for you. As for the rest of you - your luggage will arrive shortly. Maggie and I will see you to your rooms. Congratulations and welcome."
As Austin shook hands with Seth, he felt relief that there would be one less human in the penthouse to protect. He glanced down at the foyer and saw that the five vampire judges had left. So had Darcy and the cameramen. Shoot, that was it? Apparently, they were done for the night.
The limo drivers brought all the luggage into the foyer, and the men descended the stairs to collect their bags. The five losers for the night left with the limo drivers.
Maggie escorted Austin and five other contestants to the east wing of the penthouse. She pointed out the kitchen, fitness room, and sauna. "There are three bedrooms on this side. You'll need to share rooms." She looked at a clipboard she was carrying. "I have Reginald and Pierre in one room, Garth and George together, and Nicholas and Adam together."
Austin exchanged a relieved look with Garrett. Thank God they didn't have to share rooms with a vampire.
"Where is the director's office?" Austin asked.
"Darcy's in the pool house." Maggie gave him a curious look. "Why? Is there a problem?"
"No, not at all." He silently cursed as he lugged his bag up the back stairs to the second floor. The pool house? Who the hell used a pool house for an office? He'd put a camera in the penthouse library, expecting that to be her office. He hadn't put any cameras in the damned pool house.
Maggie showed Reginald and Pierre to their room first. Then, she led the four humans to their rooms. Austin's bedroom was next door to Garrett's.
"The kitchen is fully stocked with drinks and snacks," Maggie explained. "A caterer will bring you hot meals each day. For security reasons, please do not go into any other bedrooms. You may leave the building as long as you're back in time for the show each evening. Since we will be recording at night, we are encouraging all contestants to sleep during the day."
Austin suppressed a laugh. Right, some of the contestants were dead during the day.
"We'll begin recording tomorrow night at eight P.M. in the library. Good night." With a final smile, Maggie left.
The men rolled their luggage into their bedrooms. Austin hefted his suitcase onto his bed and removed his laptop. He glanced at Nicholas. "I hope you don't mind if I use the desk."
"No, not at all." Nicholas dropped his bag on his bed. "I'm starving. Want to check out the kitchen?"
"Sorry, I've got some work to do. But don't let me stop you." Austin set his laptop on the desk.
"See ya later." Nicholas headed out the door.
Whew. Alone at last. Austin punched in the code for the hidden cameras he'd installed. He spotted a group of men on the west end of the penthouse. Gregori was showing contestants to their rooms. They were probably all vampires. Gregori made his leave and headed for the main staircase. Where was he going? To see Darcy?
Austin felt a nasty twinge that he recognized as jealousy. And it didn't help that Darcy had set up her headquarters in the damned pool house where he didn't have a camera. Was she going to sleep there, too?
He switched his view to the camera in the foyer. Gregori had reached the bottom of the stairs and was headed for the portrait room. Austin switched to the portrait room. Shoot. Darcy was there. That creepy Gregori was meeting her alone.
Darcy was removing a portrait from the wall, probably one of the rejects for the night. She carried the portrait to the far corner of the room and set it on the floor, propped against the wall. She straightened suddenly, pivoting toward the door.
"Gregori!" She ran across the room. She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek. "You were great!"
He was scum. Austin watched to see where the vampire placed his hands on Darcy. A brief touch on her shoulders. Austin decided to leave his wooden stakes in the suitcase for now.
"Thanks. It was fun." Gregori glanced at the portraits on the wall. "So you're removing the losers?"
"Yes." Darcy plucked a second portrait off the wall. "Can you get Derek's?"
"Sure." Gregori removed the painting and followed Darcy to the corner where she was stashing them. "I thought it was really embarrassing how racist the ladies are."
"It's awful! I'll have to do some very careful editing."
"Yeah. They're really stuck in the past." Gregori set down his painting. "But I think you handled them really well."
"Thank you." Darcy located the fifth painting that needed to be removed.
Gregori wandered toward her, studying the portraits. He stopped in front of one and leaned close to read the nameplate. "Adam Olaf Cartwright. Who's he?"
Austin tensed and held his breath.
Darcy froze for a few seconds, then grabbed the fifth painting off the wall. She strode toward the corner. "He's a contestant, of course."
"Mortal or vampire?"
Darcy deposited the painting, then straightened. "We agreed that you wouldn't know ahead of time."
"I know, but - " Gregori glared at Austin's painting. "This guy was staring at you all evening."
Darcy clenched her hands together. "I wouldn't call it all evening. It was more like ten minutes."
"Ten minutes that he couldn't take his eyes off of you."
Austin narrowed his eyes. You got a problem with that, scumbag?
Darcy's laugh was short and forced. "Don't be silly. He was probably looking at the camera, not me. I'll have to remind the guys to ignore the camera and act naturally."
Gregori crossed his arms. "Have you been seeing him?"
She shrugged. "A few times, but it was work related."
Austin snorted. More pleasure than work, sweetheart.
Gregori frowned. "I don't want you to get hurt."
Darcy scoffed. "Don't worry. Nothing's going on."
Austin ground his teeth. Nothing? For the last two weeks, he'd been haunted with the memories of kissing her mouth, touching her breasts, and feeling her sweet rump pressed against his groin. Was that what she called nothing?
"What's up?" Garrett peeked into his room.
Austin jumped in his chair, then quickly turned off the volume on his laptop. "Dammit, Garrett. Give me a warning, will you? I don't want my roommate to see what I'm doing."
"What are you doing?"
"Making sure all the cameras are working."
"Cool." Garrett shut the door and paced toward the computer. "Anything interesting? Who's that - the host and director?"
"Yeah, but it's really boring."
"Turn it up," Garrett urged. "I want to hear."
With an inward wince, Austin turned on the volume.
"I thought those ladies were going to tear this room apart when they found out about the mortals," Gregori said.
Darcy sighed. "Yeah, it wasn't pretty."
Austin relaxed. He was no longer the topic of conversation.
"I just hope your boss will understand," Gregori said.
"Yeah." Darcy headed for the door and turned off the lights.
Austin switched to the camera in the hallway. The sound was faint, so he turned the volume on high.
"I thought for sure I'd be able to tell the mortals from the Vamps." Gregori strolled toward the foyer.
"No one can smell them because of the anklets," Darcy said as she walked beside him. "They work like a charm. Even the vampires are wearing placebo ones. That way, when they're all wearing swimsuits, no one will be able to tell who's who."
"Holy anklet." Austin rolled down his sock and examined the anklet. "I thought it might have some kind of homing device, but it looks like it's just a chemical thing to block our smell."
Garret nodded. "I thought those vampires in the limo seemed too... indifferent."
Austin pulled his anklet off. "I'll give this to Emma tomorrow when she comes with the caterer. She can have it analyzed." Of course, without the anklet, he'd smell like a tasty morsel to the vampires.
"Are you sure you want to take that off?" Garrett asked.
"I'll get another one. I'll tell the director I lost mine."
"You mean Miss Darcy? You still think she's human?"
"Yes. I don't know why she's involved with these vampires, but she'll do her best to protect us from getting bit."
Garrett snorted. "You trust her more than I do. You know what the contract said - DVN isn't liable for puncture wounds."
Austin laughed. "I have no intention of getting bit." But he did have a good reason now for seeking out Darcy. And he knew exactly where to find her. The pool house.
As Darcy wandered about the greenhouse, she let the warm humid air caress her face and melt away all the tension that had built over the course of the evening. Shelves like stair steps lined each side of the path, each shelf filled with pots of brightly colored flowers - impatiens, lilies, peonies, and more exotic flowers she didn't recognize.
One side of the greenhouse was devoted to roses. A few climbing roses had been trained to cover an archway that began the path down the rose garden. In the middle, against the wall, a small fountain trickled water into a pool.
Toward the back of the greenhouse, a small tropical area thrived with lemon and banana trees. A stone bench sat under a willowy palm. Darcy sat and eased off her shoes. This would be the ideal setting for testing the next two qualifications - good manners and charming speech.
"Darcy!"
She spotted Maggie coming toward her. "Hi. Did you get the men settled in their rooms?"
"Yes. And I kept the mortals together like you asked."
"Thanks. I don't know how I'd manage without you." As long as she had Maggie's help, Darcy could avoid spending any time with the mortals. Or rather, one mortal in particular.
Maggie stopped next to her. "Actually, that's what I needed to talk to you about. Tomorrow night, I'm supposed to go back to DVN for another audition."
"Oh, that's right." Darcy gave her an encouraging smile. "Don't worry. You'll be great."
Maggie winced. "I'm awfully nervous. I'm going to read opposite Don Orlando. I hope he likes me."
"I - I'm sure he will." Darcy stifled a groan. She hadn't told her friend about Don Orlando's affair with Corky and Tiffany and God knows how many other women. She couldn't stand the thought of destroying Maggie's dream. Maggie was always the optimist who claimed everything happened just as it should. Even though Darcy couldn't agree with that, she hadn't realized until now how much she needed Maggie to believe it. As long as Maggie believed in happy endings, it still seemed possible.
"I think we should film in here tomorrow night." Darcy stood and picked up her shoes.
Maggie walked alongside her. "You want to test the men's good manners here?"
"Yes, I thought - aagh!" Darcy slipped in a puddle of water.
"Are you all right?" Maggie reached out to steady her. "You shouldn't walk in your hose. It's too slippery."
"Yeah, and I'll tear them up, too. Just a minute." Darcy wiggled out of her pantyhose, then stuck them into her shoes. "You know, this is exactly what we need. We'll make a big, muddy puddle in the middle of a path tomorrow night and see how the guys manage to keep the women from muddying their shoes."
"Oh, I like that! It's like that story about Sir Francis Drake putting down a cloak so the queen could walk over it."
"Exactly." Darcy carried her shoes as she walked barefoot. "We can do a whole obstacle course here in the greenhouse. And I think we'll have Lady Pamela conduct the tests. She seems to be the expert on propriety."
Maggie snorted. "That's true."
They exited the greenhouse and stopped by the stairwell. Maggie opened the door. "I'm going to the servants' floor. You want to join us in the parlor?"
"No, I'm tired. Good luck with your audition tomorrow."
"Thanks." Maggie slipped into the stairwell. The heavy door banged shut. Darcy closed her eyes and felt the cool breeze against her face. The first night was over. Time to relax. With a sigh, she headed across the roof to the pool house.
A splash of water drew her attention. There was a man in the pool doing laps, his long, lean body zooming neatly through the water. He exuded the perfect combination of strength and grace. She stepped closer. His back was bare and tanned, his shoulders broad. The muscles in his back and shoulders rippled with each stroke. His legs were long and powerful.
He had to be mortal... Vampires were never that tanned. And nothing this beautiful could last an eternity. Even the most spectacular of sunsets could only last a few moments. For this mortal, this was his moment, the culmination of youth, strength, and grace - all the more beautiful because his zenith was short-lived, and this moment in time was rare.
Darcy's eyes filled with tears. The vampires had it all wrong. They thought they were the beautiful ones because they managed to stay young forever. They didn't realize that an eternity of youth and beauty became cheap when it was stolen, and meaningless when it was the norm.
The man reached the end of the pool and shoved his thick, wet hair back from his face. Darcy caught her breath. Oh God, she should have known it was him. Her shoes slipped from her hand and clattered onto the cement.
He turned toward the noise and smiled at her.
Her knees turned rubbery. He pushed off the edge and swam toward her. She glanced toward the pool house. It would look cowardly if she ran away. But darn it, she'd been so determined to stay away from him.
He stopped and rested a tanned forearm on the tiled edge of the pool. "Hi, Darcy."
Just the sound of Adam saying her name made her feel warm and light, like she could fly to the sun and never be cold again. "Hi."
"The water's great. Want to join me?"
She scoffed. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm wearing a dress."
"Oh, I noticed. I can't take my eyes off of you."
Her face grew warm. "Actually, I need to talk to you about that. You shouldn't look at me, because I'm usually very close to the camera."
He tilted his head, still watching her. "There's no camera now. Just you and me."
"And I have some work to do. Good night." She leaned over to pick up her shoes.
"How does that dress come off? Is there a zipper in the back?"
She jerked straight, forgetting the shoes. "Excuse me?"
"You need to take off the dress to swim."
"I'm not swimming with you. The water's far too cold."
"Oh. In that case..." He planted his palms on the tiled edge. The muscles in his arms and shoulders bunched as he hauled himself out of the water.
Darcy stepped back. Her mouth fell open.
He slowly straightened. Water glistened on his tanned skin. Rivulets sluiced down his body, seeking the easiest path around well-defined pectoral and abdominal muscles. His chest hair lay flat and wet against his chest. It appeared dark brown like the hair on his head. Moisture and darkness had combined to hide the blond highlights that normally made him appear golden as a sun god. Tonight, he looked darker and even more dangerous to her peace of mind.
"We'll find something warmer." He padded to the hot tub.
Speechless, Darcy watched him walk by. His cotton boxer-style swimsuit would never be classified as sexy, but the wet material had glued itself to his body. As he passed by, she became very aware of how low the swimsuit rested on his narrow hips. The material clung to his rump, clearly outlining each buttock and the muscles that flexed with each step he took.
The waistband was so low, she could see two dimples on his lower back. Oh God, that brought his total dimple count up to four. And made her want to examine every inch of him for more.
He stepped into the hot tub and punched a button on the control panel. With a whirring sound, the water began to swirl about. He smiled at her as he settled on a seat. "Feels great."
Steam rose from the water, promising her warmth and comfort, an end to the chill that had tormented her for four long years.
"Come on, Darcy," he spoke quietly.
Oh, God, he was the devil. He knew just how to tempt her and torture her at the same time. She walked slowly toward him. "If I was judging the contest, you would definitely be the winner. But I'm not, so you're wasting your time."
"I don't give a damn about the contest. And time with you is never wasted. Come in, and I'll show you."
She snorted. "Oh, you're good. But there's no purpose for this." Only heartache for wanting something she couldn't have.
"No purpose?" He frowned at her. "What about friendship?"
She laughed. "You just want to be friends? I've heard that one before."
He grinned. "So have I. But I mean it, Darcy. Don't you need someone to talk to?"
How could she confide in a mortal that she lived among vampires? "I'm sorry." She turned to go.
"Wait." He lunged across the spa, causing a wave of hot water to spill over the edge and warm her bare feet. "I need to tell you something. It's about the anklet I'm supposed to wear."
She turned back to him. "What about it?"
"I - I lost it, somehow. Is it important?"
She swallowed. More than important. It was essential for keeping him safe. "I'll make sure you get another one."
"What exactly is it?" His eyes looked wide with innocence.
"Didn't Laszlo tell you?"
Adam shrugged. "Something about pheromones and how we're attracted to each other by our nose."
"That's true." And Adam always smelled wonderful - warm, healthy, and sexy.
"Come and sit a while." He patted the tile edge of the hot tub. "Soak your feet and relax. It's been a long night."
She found herself smiling. "You don't give up, do you?"
"Not with you." He smiled back. "Look, I'll keep my distance." He floated back to the far side of the tub.
Darcy removed her sparkly jacket and dropped it on a patio chair. "Just for a little while." She sat carefully on the edge making sure she didn't snag the silk sheath on the rough cement. She dangled her feet over the side, but the hot, bubbly water felt so wonderful, she immersed her legs to just below the knees. Her narrow dress rode up to the middle of her thighs.
"Feels good?" he asked softly.
"Yes."
"Did everything go well tonight for the show?"
"Yes."
"Are you sleeping in the pool house?"
What a rascal. "Yes."
"Alone?"
"Yes."
He grinned. "You're very agreeable tonight."
She suppressed a laugh. "Yes." And now, he'd ask to spend the night with her, thinking she would continue to say yes.
"Have you ever been in love?"
She blinked. That had surprised her. "Yes. I suppose." She sighed. "I'm not sure. Maybe I just wanted to be in love."
"Did he love you?"
"He said he did. We were together about a year in college. I thought we were engaged, but - " She shrugged. "Obviously, we disagreed on that."
"He was stupid to let you go."
"I think he was a little too young to commit himself."
Adam snorted. "The guy was stupid."
"That's a bit harsh, don't you think?"
"No. Any man who would let you go has got to be stupid."
"He was just immature."
"That's a nice word for stupid."
Darcy laughed. "Okay, he was stupid." Surprisingly enough, the declaration made her feel great. "So, I guess the big question now is how intelligent are you?"
He smiled slowly, his dimples deepening. "I'm smart enough."
And living in a different world than her, too. She really shouldn't flirt with the poor guy. Unfortunately, he was damned near irresistible. Somehow, she would have to resist.
He moved toward her. His hand curled around the instep of her left foot. "Can I give you a foot massage?"
"N - " The word died in her throat as his strong fingers pressed into the sole of her foot. Oh, boy, was he good. "Yes."
He massaged slow circles down her foot. "Feels good?"
She sighed and closed her eyes. "Yes."
He tugged gently on her toes. "You're doing a great job with the show."
His compliment spread through her like a ray of sunshine. "Thank you."
He switched to her right foot. "Can I tell you a secret?"
She opened her eyes. "Don't tell me you're an axe murderer."
He smiled as he continued to massage her foot. "No, I'm not. Believe it or not, I'm kinda... sensitive for a guy."
She snorted. "You can't be gay. Not the way you kiss."
His eyes twinkled. "Are you sure? You might need another sample for verification."
She laughed. "You are definitely a lady's man."
"That's true. About my secret..." His hands skimmed up the back of her legs to her calves. He massaged the muscles there.
She lifted her eyebrows. "If you're making a move on me, that's hardly a secret."
He rested a cheek against her knee. "The secret is I can sorta tune in on whatever people are feeling."
"You mean you're good at reading body language?"
"No." He gave her a worried look. "I can just sense it."
She leaned back. "You mean you're empathic?"
"Yeah." He scooted closer 'til his chest was pressed against her legs. "Do you know what I sense from you?"
"Could it be doubt?" She gave him a skeptical look. "Or let me guess. You have this sudden sensation that I want to sleep with you."
He grinned. "You think this is part of a pickup routine?"
She nodded. "But you get points for originality." He kissed her left knee. "Thanks. But seriously, I get the impression that you're trapped somewhere you don't want to be."
She stiffened. Good God, maybe he was empathic. He watched her carefully. "Is that true, Darcy? Do you need some help?" She swallowed hard. "I - no. I'm fine."
"There's nothing you want to tell me?" Her eyes filled with tears. Now, the knight in shining armor comes along? What a damned cruel world. Why couldn't she have met him four years ago? He was everything she wanted. Everything she needed.
He stood in front of her. Hot water dripped off him onto her thighs. She wanted to melt with him. He touched her shoulders. "Let me help you." She stood. She was a foot or so taller since she was standing on the ledge for sitting. She looked down at him and ran her fingers into his hair. "Adam, you're everything I ever wanted, but it's too late."
"No." He grabbed her around the waist and pulled her off the ledge. "It's never too late." He sank into the hot, bubbly water, taking her with him.
And the last of her resistance melted away.